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Does she look overweight?

6K views 54 replies 21 participants last post by  wm97 
#1 ·
Hey all,

This is my 4 year old girl Maisie who sits at about 25 inches in height. When we adopted her she was 60 pounds and all skin and bone. After 6 months she definitely is at a much healthier weight.

These aren’t the best photos, but my family keeps telling me how fat she looks and how she’s “5 pounds from being overweight” which I don’t see at all. I think she’s finally at a really good healthy weight for her size. She could DEFINITELY gain some more muscle in her backside, but I don’t think she’s anywhere near being overweight.

Taking her to the vet this weekend to get weighed, but wanted your opinions.

took these 10 minutes ago right after she ate dinner
 

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#2 ·
So I have seen charts that show that your dog should have a 'tuck-up' when seen from the side, and a 'waist' when seen from the top. ( There's one tacked up in my vet's office, so I stare at it while waiting for her to come in.) :)

I keep my eye on my dog's waist (that's my easiest view of him, the top view, because he's so furry) to monitor his weight. The top view of your dog looks like she should have a bit more of a waist? But that may also just be the way she's built or the photo angle. Hmm, she basically looks like a healthy dog at a good weight to me, maybe could use more conditioning/exercise/running. But, so could mine!

(And I have seen dogs that look like furry barrels with legs sticking out the bottom...
those are the owners that I would be talking to!)
 
#11 ·
Near overweight sure but fat... that’s a stretch. I took her to the vet yesterday and she told me that she’s at a perfect weight for her size and considering how malnourished she was before but that some of the fat needs to turn into muscle.
going to start taking her on daily hikes versus daily walks to get some more muscle and I’m looking into agility training.

she definitely isn’t fat though I think my pictures were a little deceiving.
 
#7 ·
Wow...ok, I think my dog must be a bit overweight too!

OP's dog looked like a healthy weight to me...maybe needing some exercise/conditioning but I didn't think she needed to actually be thinner than that. She looks just a tad heavier than my dog.

Actually with mine, when he's wet or blowing coat, he looks a lot smaller/thinner. With all that fur it gets hard to tell!?
 
#10 ·
Wow...ok, I think my dog must be a bit overweight too!

OP's dog looked like a healthy weight to me...maybe needing some exercise/conditioning but I didn't think she needed to actually be thinner than that. She looks just a tad heavier than my dog.

Actually with mine, when he's wet or blowing coat, he looks a lot smaller/thinner. With all that fur it gets hard to tell!?
she is definitely a healthy weight according to my vet (took her in yesterday) but she lacks muscle and definition. Vet said she shouldn’t lose any weight but add a lot more exercise to turn the fat into more muscle.

thanks for the response!!
 
#8 ·
her body condition is not ideal (which you’re aware of).
the angle of the photos are not ideal either, but i can see that you were trying... (should be level / parallel)
a 4yr old dog can stand to be a bit trimmer, but i personally would not cut her food back any if you can accomplish this through exercise - which i believe you can.
my first thought was that she looks as if she’s been recently bathed as her coat looks quite plush.
no one here can feel the coverage over her ribs, etc, from a photo, so keep that in mind when considering their opinions.
using the science diet body condition score (bcs) chart with 4-5 being ideal... i’d put her at a 5.5
would love to see better photos.
 
#15 ·
You asked if she looks overweight. Yes she does. I am really not clear why you felt a need to be offended.
Vets for some strange reason like overweight dogs.
Ideal body condition is a noticeable tuck at the abdomen viewed from the side and a defined waist viewed from the top. I like to be able to see the last rib but you should easily feel the ribs at least.
 
#17 ·
I never said I was offended and I am not. Like I said in some comments I think my photos were deceiving and I’m sure she is overweight but rather nearing it. My vet agreed that she is at a perfect weight but that her fat needs to turn to muscle.

I simply found it annoying that people
Commented “she’s fat” or “she’s overweight” rather than the comments that elaborates and explained their answer which is the advice I was looking for.
 
#18 ·
I just went through a fat shaming at a dog show with Scarlet in September, lol. Hadn’t shown in months, and hadn’t planned to show then, but got talked into it. Apparently I let Scarlet’s weight creep up over the summer, and I hadn’t been in the show building 5 minutes when everyone told me she was fat. Not overweight, but fat. Geez. It was kind of embarrassing. She won on the last day she was shown, and when I saw the photos from the photographer, yikes! They were right.

Just exercise your dog. She’ll be fine.
 
#20 ·
The dog in this picture is overweight, not fat, and lacking in muscle tone. I attached it so you could see the difference. This is an 8 year old female, so technically a senior. Your dog is just 4, still young. She needs to build muscle yes, but you do not turn fat into muscle, you keep your dog at a healthy weight and build from there.
Dog Canidae Ocean Sea Beach
 
#22 ·
American vets are notorious for not judging "overweight" properly. I suspect it is a relative thing. The are so used to seeing obese pets, that anything less is fine.

From the first pictures you posted, from a working breed standard, she is overweight. She is slightly over what a lot would call "pet weight".

You will do her a good service trimming her down and doing some core workout stuff. Which can be fun anyway.

I just took a good 5 to 8 lbs off each of my dogs. The difference in definition and in movement is pronounced even for that relatively small amount. I went to a seminar with a high profile trainer/competitor from Finland. She said "your dogs, they are fat". They would have looked great to most vets. But, she was right.
 
#23 ·
Agh, ok, then I think my dog is overweight.
He looks more like the OP's dog, and he is definitely heavier than that photo Sabismom posted!
He gets a lot of exercise (2h / day of walking and running) but he always acts like he's STARVING...|he loves food so much, it's hard to deny those soft brown eyes. We already measure out his kibble carefully (1.5 cups per meal) and I hate to cut it down anymore...I just wonder, does he feel Hungry all the time? What a horrible state of existence...
 
#25 ·
Agh, ok, then I think my dog is overweight.
He looks more like the OP's dog, and he is definitely heavier than that photo Sabismom posted!
He gets a lot of exercise (2h / day of walking and running) but he always acts like he's STARVING...|he loves food so much, it's hard to deny those soft brown eyes. We already measure out his kibble carefully (1.5 cups per meal) and I hate to cut it down anymore...I just wonder, does he feel Hungry all the time? What a horrible state of existence...
Lol. Sabi lived for food and she was a big boned girl to start with! According to her I starved her for her whole life. Pics taken about a year after she was retired showed a fat dog. Pics just before she died showed an obese dog. But when I realized her death was imminent I threw the diet she had spent all her life on out the window and fed her everything I had denied her.
Shadow sort of self regulates so I cannot see her getting fat but she is definitely overweight and with a bad heart she cannot be worked hard. I can keep her lean and active but no shot at real muscle tone.
The OPs dog looks like a fairly thick boned type anyway so keeping her lean and fit will be a challenge as these girls seem to hide a fair bit of weight pretty easily.
A good trainer or a breeder might be better help then a vet
Carrots and snap peas raw are fabulous treats and fillers. So are green beans.
 
#27 ·
So I went back to the photos of when you first got her. You described her as skin and bone when she actually looked a bit thin, but more lacking in muscle. Now, with people telling you she is overweight you are saying she is a perfect weight. My guess is that you just don't understand a healthy weight.
Maybe if you are on Facebook check out Weberhaus or Blackthorn pages as both have numerous pictures of fit dogs. Vom Wolfstraum would be another.
As I said in your original thread, your dog is roughly the size of mine and at 70lbs she would be obese.
 
#36 ·
So I went back to the photos of when you first got her. You described her as skin and bone when she actually looked a bit thin, but more lacking in muscle. Now, with people telling you she is overweight you are saying she is a perfect weight. My guess is that you just don't understand a healthy weight.
Maybe if you are on Facebook check out Weberhaus or Blackthorn pages as both have numerous pictures of fit dogs. Vom Wolfstraum would be another.
As I said in your original thread, your dog is roughly the size of mine and at 70lbs she would be obese.
No I’m sorry I have to disagree with that. And I know photos are deceiving and I’m taking no offense but she was sickly. She could barely stand and she shook when she did, you could go down her whole back and feel nothing but sharp spine. She was just under 60 pounds at 24 1/2 inches. She was very thin when I got her. And while I understand our dogs may be similar height her build is very different. Even when she was 60 pounds she still had a very built and large/muscular upper body while her back half was truly skin and bone.

Since I posted this we’ve been going on daily 2hour + hikes and got told today she looked muscular and strong! I agree that she looked a little overweight and definitely agreed she needed more muscle. I was wrong to say she was at a “perfect” weight. I relate overweight and fat to mean unhealthy and I worked several months and spend several thousands to get her from near death to healthy.

I appreciate the response and advice! I’ll look into those FB pages.
 
#28 ·
Is she purebred? If not, it is possible she is at a good weight for her build. My female who looks purebred but might be a mix has never had a tiny waist but her weight is good for her size. She was also spayed young which affected her shape. I would exercise her and keep her food about the same or cut back a tiny bit, literally only a few mouthfuls a day and take comparison pictures in a month.
 
#30 ·
My 4.5 year old shepherd had put on weight, so I put her on a diet. She lost nothing. My vet tested her thyroid. After the thyroid medication and continued diet, she was down to 62lbs. from 70lbs. I thought she looked skinny. My vet is a shepherd guy. He was thrilled with her weight, body condition, and muscle tone. He finally said I could feed her a 'little' more. She has a lot of energy. Never walks, always runs. Yes, IMO, your dog is overweight. Your vet is wrong.

Research shows that, on average, lean dogs have a longer life span than fat dogs. To me, that's a pretty good incentive.
 
#31 ·
Wanted to add... I had also put my beagle mix on a diet. Soon after, I got an update from his 'Embark' results. They now test for the CDDY/IVDD mutation. It showed my hound is at risk for Type 1 IVDD (Intervertebral disc disease). I brought the news to my vets' attention. She immediately responded - "Don't let him get fat." I won't be letting him gain that weight back.

We all care about the health of our dogs. Lets face it - a lot of us could stand to lose a few pounds and so could our dogs. I admit it. (It's the first step.) LOL!
 
#32 ·
My girl is lanky as all get out, but she’s 26” at the shoulder and averages at 70lbs. This is what she looks like when she is around 67 (we were trying to keep her lighter to keep spay costs down, lol! 70lbs+ was $100 more!):



She’s breathing in while huffing at the neighbour’s dogs.

This is my partner’s WGSL at 12 years old:



Which looks more akin to your dog. She was overweight at that point.
 
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#38 ·
My girl is lanky as all get out, but she’s 26” at the shoulder and averages at 70lbs. This is what she looks like when she is around 67 (we were trying to keep her lighter to keep spay costs down, lol! 70lbs+ was $100 more!):



She’s breathing in while huffing at the neighbour’s dogs.

This is my partner’s WGSL at 12 years old:



Which looks more akin to your dog. She was overweight at that point.
If I took the same photo as the second in the same lighting youd be able to clearly see all my dogs ribs. I agree in my initial post she looked/was overweight and need to lose a few while bulking muscle.

which we have been since posting and she’s doing great!
I appreciate the response
 
#39 ·
I appreciate it about the nails! I take her to PetSmart because it’s what I can afford at the moment and I thought they looked awful long (and poorly trimmed) but they assured me it was appropriate and I just forgot about it. Will note that next time.

Since posting she’s down ~approx 4 pounds but I think she’s gained some muscle so that plays into it.
Thank you!
 
#34 ·
She’s a little overweight but nothing extreme, as others have voiced some more muscle. I’ve found GSDs to run a little slimmer than other breeds. It also depends upon lines, my boy who is a great weight for him looked big compared to a straight working line dog. She was taller and more lanky.
 
#48 ·
I tend to get accused of keeping my dogs too thin - by strangers, by vets ('he needs insurance weight!'...we don't use that vet anymore), by friends...so take it for what it's worth, but I like the level of tuck in this picture (conceding that some muscle could be gained). I'm glad you've upped her exercise and it sounds like she's already dropped a decent amount of weight which is great!

For me, having had a GSD with hip dysplasia (kept her thin) and Luc who lived to 15.5 (made him thin) - there's a lot at risk in dogs, particularly a breed disposed to joint problems, who are overweight.

My non-GSDs...well. Xerxes is a beagle but has like 4% body fat, extreme tuck, but he's also very broad in the chest - he's beautiful to behold (compared to the quoted picture, he's proportionally broader with a far more extreme tuck). Neb varies in weight, I also think he's a chubster but our vet and my husband strongly disagree. He's not overweight and is slim by most standards, I just think he could be even thinner. He's 38.6lbs and I remember when he was 36lbs (admittedly as a young adult) and he looked great then. I suspect 37.5-38lbs is his sweet spot from a 'where I want him to be' and 'from where my husband and vet will stage an intervention'. He's a senior now so I feel like keeping him slender is important. With Agis (GSD mix pup), I am letting him be a bit round because he's 4.5 mos old and he's also part Rottie and I feel like will not have a naturally slender build...he's got a certain tank thing going on. Even he has a tuck though, I just don't fuss about it like I do with the adults.
 
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